Fourteen teams won their respective divisions during the recently completed U.S. Youth Soccer Region II Championships. Many Sioux Falls merchants can also claim victory during the six-day event.

Anticipated impact of the mass of humanity was forecast to be in the millions of dollars. Terri Schmidt of the Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau got immediate feedback to back up the claim.

“Some businesses reported an increase of 30 percent over normal. One particular business mentioned that it was their second-highest grossing day with opening day being the first.

“That tells us exactly what should have happened. All these fifteen thousand people got out into the community. Whole teams were coming out of restaurants on Minnesota Avenue.”

To attract an event such as this, Schmidt says any host city has a number of requirements.

“A community has to have a soccer complex suitable for the event. Hotel rooms are next on the list with proximity to the fields being a major factor. The other element to the hotel consideration is having a supply of rooms with more than one queen bed. Of course you have to have the restaurants to feed those fifteen thousand people.”

Safety of the community, activities around town when teams are not playing will then take center stage as important criteria for being a host city for the event. This year marks the fourth time that Sioux Falls has hosted the Region II Championships.


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